Airplane



W. L. @1m/10mix AIRPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, IQZD.

Patented @et 39 192%.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WMI ha i? who LL,

WILMHM IL. WLMQWE @LI/toma@ 1J W. I.. GILMORE.

AIRPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED 00126, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- TW (CS @am La III Ime/wko@ WIIIIIHM I @IIMQWE @3313 @wom/w13 I Patented @et if), i923,

WXLLIAM L. GLMORE, Ol PRT WASHIENGTON, NEX/V YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 CURTISS AEROPLANE AND MOTOR CORPOltir'lION,V A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AIB/PLANE.

Application filed October 26, 1920. Serial No. l19,713.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, l/VILLIAM L. Gilmore, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port 1Washinton, in-the county of Nassau and State of New York, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Airplanes, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to airplanes and is characteried principally as follows: lnstead of providing, as heretofore, a distinctly separate non-lifting fuselage or body within which the motor, fuel,\pilot, passenger or passengers, control mechanism, etc. are enclosed, the motor or motorsherein (which ever is used) are each enclosed for the major part in separate motor nacelles. rlhese nacelles or bodies form a composite part of the supporting surface. 'lhat is to say, distinguished from the conventional airplane, the separate nacelles are in no sense structurally distinct bodies but are built into and along with the supporting surface as an integral part thereof. The supporting surface, (but one is used) it will be noted, is internally braced, noticeably thick and deep .throughout the intermediate portion of its length and for all intents and purposes, at said intermediate portion, is of such size and cross sectional area as to completely house the various items of useful load above mentioned. Thus constructed, it is obvious that that which has heretofore added weight and resistance only, is herein made to contribute quite appreciably to the total availalble lift and at the same time to add but little, if any, tothe total resistance of the machine considered as a whole.

For the support of the machine on water, twin pontoons are provided. These pontoons are arranged preferably substantially directly beneath the motor nacelles and with the supporting surface afford a rigid foundation for an outrigged tail structurecarrying at its rear end, the empennage. Such outrigged tail structure, like the supporting surface, is markedly free from all Hight resistant surfaces andin elevation is triangularly braced, the arrangement of the beams or vbrace members being such that maximum strength-is obtained.

A further characteristic of the invention,

is the provision of cockpit space in the supporting surface, preferably intermediately between the motor nacelles and from which both motors and all controlsurfaces are controlled. Thus located, the various leads which extend off from the control mechanism to the control surfaces may be enclosed for the major part within the airplane wing. The supporting surface, for structural reasons, is preferably made up of separate panels, the centre panel, i. e., the inter' mediate portion of the supporting surface being of substantially constant cross sectional area from end to end and the outer panels of gradually decreasing cross sectional area from root to tip. ln addition to the control mechanism, the fuel tank or tanks, the various instruments, and such other desirable items ofV useful load are wholly and entirely enclosed in the centre panel of the wing.

0f the drawings, wherein like referen'c numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a plan view of a monoplane seap-lane built in accordance with the teachings of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. l, and f Fig. 3 is a front elevation (the supporting surface being ,partly broken away).

Before proceeding with a detail description of the machine, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to a given or specific .type of machine. The drawings illustrate a twin float monoplane seaplane. Obviously, however, a. land machine might easily be constructed along the lines of the machine herein illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention as here inafter claimed.

For structural reasons, the supporting surface, the full span 0f which is illustrated in Fig. l is made up of separate panels. Said surface, designated as lin-entirety as l0 and in the embodiment of the invention herein selected for illustration, comprises a centre panel ll and outer or main panels 12-12 The centre panel from.V end to end is of substantially constant cross sectional area and compared with machines of conventional design is extraordinarily thick and inclined from the ends of the centre panel laterally Such construction. provides in effect a noticeable dihedral angle and admits of a rigid construction without the necessity of any external bracing whatsoever. Lateral balance of the 'machine is obtained through manipulation of ailerons 13-13 which are adapted to be operated in the usual way.

Ator near the ends of the centre panel 11 and built thereinto as an integral part thereof, are symmetrically arranged motor nacelles 14e-14. These nacelles, (see Fig. l) slightly overhang the leading' edge of the supporting y surface and terminate rearwardly at points somewhat in advance of the trailing edge. In the construction of the centre panel,`the engine bed beams (not shown) and the framework of the motor nacelles, are made as an integral part of the framework of the centre panel and they are not, as has been the practice heretoore,-made detachable-and as distinctly separate bodies. In each motor nacelles, a motor 15 is enclosed. y

Intermediately between the motor nacelles lll- 14, cockpit space is provided. Such space (see. Fig. l) is designated herein as 16 and as indicated is confined for thema jor part tothe centre panel of the supporting surface.V Thus arranged the use of a distinctly separate non-lifting body for the housing of the occupants is avoided.

Beneath the centre panel and preferably substantially beneath the motor nacelles 14-14 twin pontoons 17,-17 are arranged. These pontoons (see Figs. 2 and 3) are .more or less of conventional design. If desired, a. landingV gear suitable for land operation may be substituted for the pontoons.

Spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing.

edge of the 1ntermediate panel ll is the empennage 18 of the craft. Such empennage includesa vertical rudder 19, elevator flaps 20, vertical stabilizer 2l and horizontal stabilizer 22. As a support for thelempennage anoutrigged tail structure carried jointly by the pontoons and the supporting surface', is used. Such tail structure includes upper parallel beams or outriggers 23 and lower upwardly inclined parallel beams or outriggers 24, the former being extended straight back from vertical iin sur- 'faces A25 projected above the top surface of the centre panel l1 in rearward continuation of the motor nacelles, and the latter (the beams 24) upwardly and rearwardly from the stern end of each pontoon. In line with the trailingv edge of the center panel, the beams 23 and 24 are interbraced as at 26, such interbracing completing a triangulated system of bracing best illustrated in Fig. 2.

In'addition to housing the occupants of the machine within the confines of the supporting surface, the fuel tank or tanks (not shown, the control mechanism (not shown), and such other items of useful load, are likewise thus confined. This is true to a considerable extent also of the motor nacelles since the generating lines of the nacelle bodies if carried out, would -extend deep into thesupporting surface. The advantage in thus arranging the various componcnts inside the supporting surface, is obvious. As intimated, that which has here tofore resulted in detrimental resistance only as herein arranged increases the useful lift. For a full understanding, however, of that which is considered new and novel, reference should be had to the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. In an airplane, a supporting surface, a motor, a motor nacelle formed as a composite part of the supporting surface, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing` edge of the supporting surface, cockpit space formed in the supporting surface, a. landing gear, and an outrigged tail structure carried jointly by the landing gear land supporting surface to support the empennage.

2. InI an airplane, a supporting surface,

two motors, a nacelle for each motor formed v as a composite part of the supporting surface, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the. trailing edge of the supporting surface, cockpit space formed in the supporting surface intermediately between the motor nacelles, a landing gear, and an outrigged tail structure carried jointly by the landing gear and supporting surface to support the empennage.

3. In an airplane, a supporting surface of substantially constant cross sectional area throughout the intermediate portion of its length and of gradually decreasing cross sectional area from the ends of said intermediate portion outwardly toward the wing tips, a motor, separate motor nacelles -formed as a composite part of the intermediate portion of the supporting surface, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the supporting surface, cockpit space formed in the intermediate portion of the supporting surface, a landing gear,

and an outrigged tail structure comprising surface, a landing gear, and an-outrigged tail structure comprising beams extending rearwardly from both the supporting surface and from the landing gear.

5. ln an airplane, a supporting surface, two motors, a nacelle for each motor formed as a composite part of the supporting surface, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the supporting surface, a landing gear including spaced landing devices arranged respectively substantially directly beneath the motor nacelles and an outrigged.' tail structure, carried jointly by the landing gear and supporting surface to support the empennage.

6. In an airplane, a supporting surface, a motor, a motor nacelle formedas a composite part of the supporting surface, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the supporting surface, a landing gear, anda supporting tail structure for the empennage comprising beams carried respectively by the landing gear and supportin surface. d 5

g. In an airplane, a supporting surface of i, substantially constant cross sectional area throughout the intermediate portion-*of its length and lof gradually decreasing cross sectional area from the ends of said intermediate portion outwardly towardy the `wing tips, a motor, a motor nacelle formed as a composite part of the intermediateportion of the supporting` surface, cockpit space formed in the intermediate portion of the supporting surface, an `empennage,spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the supporting surface, a landing gear arranged beneath the intermediate portion of the supyporting surface, and a supporting tail structure for the empennage comprising beams carried respectively by the landing gear and intermediate portion of the supporting surface.

Svi/Ina monoplane, a divided supporting surface comprising a centre panel of substantially constantc'ross sectional area from end to end and outer .panels of gradually decreasing cross sectional area from root to tip, `a motor, cockpit' space formed in thel centre V`panel of the supporting surf-ace, a

landing gear, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the `supporting surface, and a supporting tail structure for the empennage including beams eX- tended rearwardly from the centre panel respectively at opposite sides of the cockpit and/from] the landing gear.

9. ln a monoplane, a divided supporting surface comprising a Acent-re panel of substantially constant cross sectional area from end to end, and outer panels of gradually decreasing cross sectional area from root to tip, two motors, a nacelle for each motor, each nacelle being formed as a composite part of the centre panel of the supporting surface, cockpit space formed in the support-ing surface intermediately between the motor nacelles, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the centrepanel, and a supporting tail structure for the empennage including beams extending back fromthe centre panel substantially in prolongation of the spaced motor nacelles.

-10. ln a monoplane seaplane, a supporting surface, cockpit space formed in the supporting surface, motors arranged respectively at opposite sides of the cockpit space, each motor being substantially enclosed in a motor nacelle formed as a composite part of the supporting surface, pontoons mounted respectively directly beneath the motor nacelles, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the supporting surface, and a supporting tail structure for the empennage including four beams, two of which are carried by the supporting surface and the othertwo respectively by the pontoons.

` cockpit space formed in the supporting surface, motors arranged respectively at opposite sides of the cockpit` space, each motor being substantially enclosed in a motor nacelle constructed as a. composite part of the supporting surface, landing devices disposed substantially directly beneath the motor nacelles, an empennage spaced longitudinally aft of the-trailing edge of the supporting surface, and an outrigged tail structure for the empennage carried jointly by the landing device and the supporting surface.

l2. In an airplane, a supporting surface, a motor enclosed for the major part within a motor nacelle formed as va 4composite part of the supporting surface, cockpit space formed in the supporting surface, a landing device mounted substantially directly beneath thc motor nacelle, and an outrigged tail structure comprising an empennage and a support therefor carried jointly by the landing device and the supporting surface.

13.' ln an airplane, a supporting surface,

cockpit space formed in the supporting sury face', motors enclosed for the major part in Vnacelles formed as a composite part of the ing such Vthat tbevlatter is intermediately located between the motor nacelles, an empenpage spaced longitudinally aft of the trailing edge of the supporting surface, a landing gear including spaced pontoons disposed substantially directly beneath the motor nacelles, and a support for the empennage coin- A prising beams projected rearwardly respectively from each motor nacelle and from each pontoon.

Intestimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature. l

" WILLIAM LGITLMORE. 

